Heart and Soul: Act 01, The Trials of a Soul
by STRIKESTWICE
Summary: Ryoko a devil. Aeka an Angel. In a universe where the soul is In a universe where the soul is the most powerfull thing of all can Tenchi defend his?
1. Heart and Soul

Ok, this is a standard disclaimer. The characters in this story are owned by AIC,   
Viz, and Pioneer. I just came up with the story, not the people. Don't sue me.   
Especially pioneer since I've already bought over a thousand dollars worth of electrical   
equipment and Anime from you this year. What more do you want from me?   
Now a little side note this story uses the Christian religion as a background. Any   
and all changes made that differ with Christian dogma were intentionally. Any changes   
or mistakes about the Shinto/Buddhism religion were done accidentally.   


Heart and Soul 

Act 1: The Trials of a Soul 

Pulled from the darkest bowels of hell, the demon kneeled before her master.   
Clothed in a metallic dress that revealed her best features in whatever position she chose   
to assume. The succubus arched her back ever so slightly to give her lord a better view.   
He smiled at her, of all of his demons, she had tempted the most holy men to sin. She   
had started the most war with her whisperings of grandeur into men's ears. Her power   
had grown with every soul collected. But her original gift still named her the Demon   
Summoner Ryoko.   
She had only failed him once a hundred years ago today, when a monk in a small   
Japanese shrine had banished her. Forced her down to hells lowest depths for the   
requisite time.   
"The monk who sealed you had a grandson." He smiled at her seeing her tail start   
to twitch and her perfect sexual pose just a little off now. "His soul also does not belong   
to us or the other side. Find out who it belongs to and harvest it for us." He paused.   
"Should you encounter anyone from the other side, remove them."   
"Yes, my lord." She stood with a grace impossible to match and disappeared. 

*** 

Aeka waited before the pure white gates for an audience with her lord, ruffling   
her feathers impatiently. The two arch-angels standing watch, giving her a stare that   
would have frozen any soul in its place. Calming herself she smoothed her feathers and   
tucked her wings to her side. Reassuringly tightening her hands on the buckler and spear.   
It would taste Ryoko's blood again, she would make sure of that.   
The doors parted letting out her lords peace and calm. Proudly marching forward   
Aeka approached to the proper distance and stood at attention.   
"Aeka, you have not taken up shield and spear since the great rebellion. Why do   
you come dressed for war today?" The voice caressed her heart as she stared straight   
ahead, calm for the first time in a week.   
"Milord the Demon Summoner Ryoko has returned from her banishment and is   
once again on Earth." For the first time in a very long time the name didn't cause her   
voice to reach an irritating peak and her face to scrunch up into a frown.   
"I know." The light before her dimmed a second as some great miracle was rote   
on the world and then brightened to full intensity once again. "You have fought Ryoko   
four times since your defeated her in the great rebellion and have lost each time. With   
every soul that she has stolen her powers have increased. Do you wish to spend another   
hundred years in exile, Aeka."   
"Milord, bless my spear and I shall not fail you." She kneeled, spear in front of   
her, waiting for his decision. A breeze blew through the audience chamber or a gentle   
sigh. He would not interfere with anyone's self will if He could help it. The room   
dimmed again as her spear began to glow and then radiate pure light. Gathering it and   
her shield Aeka bowed and turned to leave.   
"Wait! The soul the succubus is after does not belong to me either. Retrieve that   
soul for me. That is your primary mission."   
"As Milord commands." 

*** 

"Dry your tears, Princess." Kamidake ordered her. "We have arrived at Earth."   
The princess blood shot eyes found the screen displaying a water filled planet. Jurai had   
looked the same way when she had left for the Farreach system. Jurai's first and only   
colony. The colony had been holding its 100th year founding ceremony, that had   
unfortunately landed near the kings birthday. A Royal had to make an appearance to   
such a memorable event. Her father had called upon his children asking for one to go.   
And the Princess, youngest of 14, had leapt at the chance to get away from the priestesses   
and her training.   
She forcibly choked back tears at the sight of a planet that she saw as her home.   
Her body straightened, her face hardening "Bring the fleet into orbit and locate Yosho's   
grandson." The princesses voice commanded. "The line of Jurai must continue." 

*** 

The head monk grinned scanning the letter again. Who could have believed that   
Yosho's grandson could be so gullible. The boy had asked for one priestess to help him   
learn how to properly maintain the Tsunami shrine and to assist him with the rituals.   
Outside his office something banged into metal, followed by an "I'm Sorry. Here   
let me help you. Oh that didn't seem to work." Another clatter as something hit the   
ground. "Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry." The head monk grinned again removing anything   
breakable from his desk and sliding the items into drawers. Soon he would be rid of her. 

*** 

"Washu, I know your in there, open up." Tenchi pounded on the door to one of   
the upstairs bedrooms. Dressed in a Shinto monks robes the eighteen year old looked out   
of place in the huge Masaki house. "If you do this one little favor for me I'll delay the do   
date on your rent for a week."   
The door jerked open and then closed before Tenchi even had a chance to glance   
inside. Before him stood the forty year old scientist still not looking a day over twelve.   
Since as long as Tenchi could remembered she had lived in that room, every so often   
causing the house to shudder from another explosion or two and fighting with his dad or   
grandfather over the rent.   
"Well, what is it Tenchi, my time is valuable."   
"I just got a phone call from the head monk in Tokyo. He's sending us a priestess   
on the next bullet train." Tenchi paused wondering why the monk had sent the woman   
packing in such a hurry. It wasn't like it was an emergency, all he needed was some help   
and a little coaching on the more important ceremonies. Yosho had taught him just about   
everything else before his death and the rest Tenchi had pieced together from seeing his   
grandfather perform the same rituals over and over again since he was a kid.   
"Could you please pick her up. I've got a meeting with Kiyone, if I'm even a   
minute late..." Tenchi grinned at Washu as she huffed at him. She had been the only   
mother figure in Tenchi's life even if it had been against her better judgment.   
"A one week delay in my rent payment and you've got a deal." She smiled up at   
him just a little to warmly as she held out her hand. He gripped her hand in a strong   
clasp sealing their deal.   
"She arrives at 2:30 and thanks. I've got to go change." He bounded across the   
hall towards his room leaving Washu behind. Hungrily she headed down to the kitchen   
no longer having to hide from one of her bill collectors and began to create a major   
scientific marvel in its own right. The perfect sandwich. "Yes, I am a genius." Washu   
cackled to herself at the first bite. 

*** 

Ryoko merged with a shadow watching Tenchi as he wandered down a street   
checking his watch every so often. She always observed her prey waiting for the right   
moment when its soul wavered. Observing the correct way to tempt her next victim.   
Unlike other demons who made grandiose promises that slipped through their victims   
fingers do to some fine print. Ryoko rarely ever used trickery, she studies, and then gave   
them what they wanted in no uncertain terms. It was why she always got her soul. At   
least always had. She unconsciously growled at the memory. To have been exiled by a   
lone monk in a shabby shrine was an embarrassment. Perhaps, she had been a little to   
overconfident after having defeated Aeka in a short but very sweet battle. Her growl   
turned to a purr in memory of Aeka's scream of pain and rage as Ryoko banished her   
from this dimension. *Hmm... her exile should be over now too perhaps when I have   
lured this soul to my master I will find her and enjoy that scream again.*   
She transferred herself from one shadow to another one closer to him. It was   
amazing to her how close he resembled and acted like Yosho. Carefully, she had studied   
Yosho a month attempting to locate some obvious weakness, unlike a normal person she   
had not been able to observe the strings and knots that connected his soul to other people.   
She had been forced to observe and guess. The battle with Aeka though had left her   
feeling cocky and unprepared for one as complex as Yosho. Somehow he had felt the   
difference in her no human should have been able to feel, and using a spell she had never   
seen, so one she assumed was false, had banished her.   
Tenchi was the same as Yosho, his souls tangling hidden from her sight but he   
was just a boy. A young inexperienced man child, and they didn't call her a succubus for   
nothing. She swished her tale grinning and moved on to another shadow. She would   
wait though. He was still to much like Yosho not to be cautious and she enjoyed playing   
with her prey. 

*** 

Ryoko was near by, Aeka could feel her. Dressed in a humans clothes a short   
blue dress with matching blouse and tie. Concealing her spirit and cloaking it so as to   
appear as if she had a human soul, Aeka wandered down the street tailing the human   
Tenchi.   
From what she could observe he was the type of soul that she usually helped. It   
was hard for her to tell though, usually with just one glance and she would see what type   
of soul a human had. But he was a blank there. At first she had thought that he was   
some sort of human creation, a false being. But now from only a few steps away as he   
paused in front of a flower stand, inquiring about the price, she felt his soul it was their   
but unreadable, masked by something powerful. No not masked, owned by something   
else. If that was the case then his soul could be swayed to her side, loved and cherished.   
It would be nice to take on a new human and give him inspiration while protecting him,   
even if it was a little out of her job description. But...   
But, first things first, she was going to banish Ryoko and for that she had to find   
her. Turing a corner and scanning one second to make sure that no eyes were on her.   
Aeka morphed down into a little blue eyed girl carrying a bright red ball. Gainfully   
employed with her ball no one ever thought that in fact the little girl was watching a   
nondescript boy approaching a boring little suburban house. 

*** 

Washu taped her foot impatiently and glanced at her watch again. How could the   
damn train be already fifteen minutes late. The damn thing was suppose to be one of the   
most punctual trains in the world. To add to that she felt like an idiot holding the little   
placard and the conductor kept asking her where her mother was.   
She had finally given up and told him that her mom was on the train. The fool   
had believed her. Even though she was carrying a placard saying "Ms. Mihoshi." Maybe   
the fool would buy her a snack out of the machine.   
"The train from Tokyo is now arriving. Please stay behind the yellow line."   
Washu looked up expectantly as the train pulled up to the station with a jerky stop and a   
wizz of air brakes.   
Escorted by two conductors, a blond woman dressed in robes was forcefully being   
expelled from the train. "I'm sorry. I thought the little red button flushed the toilet."   
Washu watched her bounce as she thrown from the train, tears welling up in sides of her   
eyes. Feeling a headache coming on, Washu rubbed her temple hoping with all her might   
that one of the other passengers on the train was the priestess. Holding her sign up she   
prayed silently trying to think of the name of that goddess, Yosho had rebuilt the shrine   
for. As the blond woman cried at the base of the train, praying to whoever the hell it was,   
she was not the one known as Mihoshi. The crowds parted hurriedly, leaving Washu   
alone in their wake with the disheveled woman. Knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt   
that she would regret the question, Washu almost kindly tapped the woman's shoulder   
gently. "Uh... miss are you Ms. Mihoshi?" The water works shut off as quickly as they   
had appeared as the woman stared blankly up at Washu. *Great she's forgotten her own   
name.* Washu sighed and repeated the question.   
"Uh... yes I am. How do you know that are you..."   
"Yes..." Washu nodded her head encouragingly.   
"Are you..." She paused once again. "Are you.... a child psychic." Washu rubbed   
her temples and begged all the gods, that anyone had ever believed in, to give her   
strength. 

*** 

Kiyone carefully examined herself in the mirror checking for anything out of   
place, mentally running down a check list. Making sure that every thing she needed or   
might need for the upcoming meeting with Tenchi was perfect. She still wouldn't let   
him call it a date. After all she had plans to go off to college and become a police officer   
or maybe a lawyer. Something to do with justice.   
An errant lock of hair escaped her orange headband and she shoved it back into   
place. Snickering at Mayuka's comment that she would be married in the thing. On the   
other hand Tenchi was so nice, and though he never let on Kiyone knew that his family   
was well off. Even more so since his father's and grandfather's death. But staying in this   
little town being a caretaker of a shabby little shrine just wasn't how she wanted to see   
herself in ten years. She checked her reflection one more time in the mirror and glanced   
at her watch. Tenchi should arrive in exactly two minutes, heading down the stairs she   
waited for him. 

*** 

"Princess we have located Yosho's grandson." Kamidake told her, trying to focus   
the little girls attention on the matters at hand.   
The princesses face hardened. "Take us." She paused her face softened then   
flashed back to steel. The hardness settled as her breathing became labored. "Take us   
down and find him." The princess' face softened again as the Juraian flag ship   
"Tsunami" broke off from her escorts and entered earth's atmosphere. The ship   
shuddered slightly as the outer wall began to warm from the atmospheric pressure.   
"Two native fighter crafts on an interception course. They are ordering us to halt   
our descent." Twenty screens focused on the two small ships showing them in a   
multitude of different angles and ranges.   
The princess' body straightened in full control for once. "Warn them off, if they   
interfere in any way, shoot them down I will tolerate no interference." Her face remained   
steel as her breathing became once again irregular. A tear gathering in one eye   
unnoticed. The two native low altitude air craft unable to maintain the speed necessary   
to keep up with the "Tsunami" broke off their pursuit. The princess' steal face softened   
her breaths in gasps. The little girl fell forward catching herself with her hands. Failing   
to rise from the ships deck she curled into a ball. Knowing that in a few minutes she   
would be required to put on the mask necessary for a Juraian Princess and meet her   
husband to be. 

*** 

It had taken Washu five minutes of trying to convince Mihoshi that she was not a   
child psychic before giving up and admitted to being able to see Mihoshi's future. Her   
headache had increased to the throbbing level, that could only be brought on by stress   
had her ready to foretell, and then fulfill, the prophecy of Mihoshi's death.   
"Lets go find Tenchi." She said grabbing the woman and looking at the station   
clock blink 2:50. If they hurriedly they could just make it to Kiyone's house by 3:00 and   
maybe forestall the disaster of leading this woman to their house. The shrine was better   
off in her opinion with Tenchi alone, then Tenchi and this woman, and Washu had this   
odd feeling, almost psychic in nature, that if this woman ever got to the Masaki house   
there would be no getting rid of her. 

*** 

Tenchi looked pensively at his watch waiting for it to change to 3:00. Finally it   
reached that appointed time. As he lifting his hand to knock on the door just as it   
opened. Bowing slightly, Tenchi presented one red rose to Kiyone, trying to hide his   
shock at seeing her on a non-school day, in a skirt. She stared at his rose for a second   
then snatched it. Trying to glare at him fiercely and failing.   
"I told you, we are just going to a movie and dinner, not a date." She tried to tell   
him gruffly but failed miserably.   
"No, a meeting."   
"A meeting." 

*** 

In a shadow cast by the door, Ryoko smiled. She had finally begun to see a   
weakness in her prey. But one that could make her job harder. *Young love, how sweet.   
Its going to be fun to tear them apart.* Carefully she examined the young lady's soul. It   
was neutral neither light or black but a solid gray. And connected by a strong thread of   
fate to Tenchi before disappearing into the blackness that obscured his soul.   
*Two souls for the price of one.* She flicked her tail to one side in her shadow   
void. It was good to be back on Earth. 

*** 

Bouncing her ball the little girl watched Tenchi, still trying to locate Ryoko. The   
demon was so close that it was almost a physical pain in her gut. Aeka wanted nothing   
more then to reveal herself and challenge the evil creature.   
The little love scene being played out in front of her was a nice relief to that pain.   
Love and happiness in humans was something she, well not quite fed on, more like   
absorbed for mental contentment. Angels rarely ever ate, food being a useless and   
needlessly messy experience. But to maintain their mental balance they needed love,   
happiness, joy, and peace, your basic good emotions.   
Demons unlike in popular myths and legends did not consume evil emotions.   
Their nature being that of fallen angels would not allow them to consume anything,   
instead they jealously tried to stop angels from consuming their needed food by tempting,   
or in the most part, just leaving the humans alone to walk down the path of darkness. It   
was a much easier path to walk down then the other path. Careful concentration was   
required to walk the streets of light or gold as it were. Even that careful concentration in   
its own way could lead them to evil.   
Kiyone accepted Tenchi's rose as Aeka's supposedly played with her bright red   
ball. Something loud like thunder exploded above Aeka's head with out even thinking   
about it she looked up.   
The bright red ball dropped from her hands and rolled down the street forgotten.   
For the first time in her existence, since before creation, she was truly unequivocally   
shocked. 

*** 

Washu picked up the ball that a little girl had dropped, and handed it to her telling   
the child to run home. Stuck stiff from fright but still young, the young girl accepted the   
ball and ran around a corner disappearing.   
It was the same basic ship design. She was sure of that though huge compared to   
the little scout craft, Yosho had landed in. But Washu doubted that their was more then   
one race even in the infinite vastness of space that would use wooden ships to sail the sea   
of stars. Or at least that's what they appeared like, the composition was still beyond the   
complete understanding of her research.   
Kiyone, her rational, tightly ordered world unbalanced grabbed Tenchi and threw   
him into the house. Closing the door behind her. From this far away Washu couldn't   
hear the locks being turned in place but she would have bet that they were.   
The ship leveled off at about thirty feet above the house slowly spinning ninety   
degrees length wise before it came to a complete stop and just hovered.   
"Uh, little psychic are we being invaded, because there was so much I wanted to   
do before the end of the world. I wanted to get that kawaii bear in the front window of   
*Toy Sounds.* I wanted to..."   
"No you twit." Patience, even that of a scientist, could only last so long. "It's   
just an expected family gathering." Her outburst was ignored as the blond kept on   
rambling to herself. 

*** 

Tenchi peaked out the window again. Only to confirm that the ship was still their   
hovering mundanely as if it belonged. A ball of light shot out of the ship quickly slowing   
down until it settled onto the sidewalk leading to Kiyone's house. The ball or more   
likely bubble burst, revealing a steel faced girl and a pair of sawed off tree trunks,   
decorated with runes, hovering behind her.   
"Yes... Police... I need the Self Defense Force to send everything they have to...   
what...? Thanks a lot." The phone slammed down behind him. The entire exchange   
failing to break Tenchi's concentration on the approaching forms.   
They neared the house the little girls dignity incalculable. Her head high, her   
eyes clear and piercing, her manners so perfect for a royal court. She gave the   
impression that the sidewalk she walked down was actually a receiving hall or even her   
own palace. Neither looking right or left she pressed the door bell. Sending an   
unexpected note through the house. 

*** 

The two toned bell sang its song in the house. Forcing Kiyone to rethink her   
priorities. Handing a baseball bat to Tenchi and hiding a butcher knife in the folds of her   
skirt. She looked out the peep hole at the aliens. A little girl and two logs. Unsure how   
much damage she could do to the two hovering logs. It seemed obvious to her to go for   
the girl and hold her hostage in an emergency.   
The door bell rang out again. Tenchi, holding the bat in his right hand like a   
sword, waited as she undid the locks and the door opened. Both of the humans retreating   
up the hall to where the lowered platform raised up to meet the rest of the house. Kiyone   
shot Tenchi a glare as he pushed her behind him and positioned the bat in a typical   
batters ready.   
*Well he is trying to defend me.* She thought, pissed at him for doing the manly   
thing. But happy as well in a small way she would prefer not admit to.   
The girl and her companions entered the house and stopped her attitude that of   
complete peace and master of this place. 

*** 

The mask that the priestesses, her family, and friends had tried for so long to   
teach her settled into place. Ever since she had been presented to the people of Jurai, a   
shy little three year old. It had been the most important thing, the only real thing that had   
been taught her. She was taught, math and science, to read and write, but those were   
secondary to the mask of office. A Juraian princess must never show emotions to the   
public. Their minds ordered, with out emotions, calmly passing judgment. Allowing   
others to see any weakness any fear could mean a loss in status or power. The most   
ordered mind, the Jurain princess who's thoughts were the best hidden, would be the one   
that She took as her host the next time. The greatest wish of any princess or so she had   
been informed a hundred times.   
The princess had failed to believe them, just like Yosho had tried to... The   
thought was blocked from the little girls memory by Her. She reinforced the mask. They   
both wanted it at this crucial time so worked together to strengthen it.   
The door opened revealing a young man holding some kind of club at the ready.   
Strong and proud, so like her father, guarding the female behind him. She didn't need   
Her to tell the princess that this was Yosho's grandson. She could feel his Jurain power   
from here but stronger then it should have been with his diluted and mixed blood.   
Almost overpoweringly strong, not even her father had been this powerful. There were   
other powers nearby, different then Hers and yet a part of the mixture that gave power to   
Yosho's grandson. She tried to gain control over the body in sudden alarm, forcing the   
princesses' mask to waiver. The changes of expression on her face disquieted the natives   
who began to back away. Her bid for control of the body failed again, frustrated beyond   
any reasonable point, She turned all her energy back into reinforcing the mask. The   
princess feeling at calm again felt her face return to the mask. Imperial regard reigned   
upon the two humans who stood on the brink of violence. Calling upon her training the   
little girl spoke.   
"You are Yosho's grandson. All hail the next King of Jurai, and my husband to   
be." She told Tenchi in perfect Japanese. 

*** 

*So, Yosho was an alien.* Ryoko unconsciously flicked the tip of her tail in   
thought. *And to think I didn't even believe in men from mars.* She grinned widely the   
death and destruction she so craved could be easily accomplished with that ship. All she   
had to do was tempt one inexperienced kid engaged to a child and whisper sweat nothing   
in his ears. Something she had done a thousand times. Men were easy that way.   
A quote sprang to her mind. "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to make   
people believe he didn't exist." Or something like that. With death reigning down from   
the heavens how many would believe in god. She smiled the majority would prey to their   
science their faith shattered. Billions of souls harvested that he couldn't use for power.   
She smiled wider it was too bad she had missed the human's cold war or else humanity   
would have already been sent back to the stone age, but this way she could wipe out   
every single human. *Lets just see how much he snubs us once all his precious sheep are   
dead. And harvesting only a trifle of their souls.* Now was not quite the time to act   
though, these things were best done in a more intimate setting.   
Even if her plan failed. Not even the great Ryoko could control a human's free   
will, Yosho's grandsons soul would be hers to play with on earth and then eventually in   
hell. 

*** 

Aeka faced with a problem wholly beyond her level of experience, headed for   
home. Quite sure that at least for now, Ryoko wasn't going to make an appearance and   
the other part of her mission solved. 

*** 

Grabbing Mihoshi and pushing her towards the back door of Kiyone's house.   
Washu had failed to hear the princesses announcement. But she did remember Yosho   
telling her that if his people ever came it wouldn't be with good news. 

***   
*I'm suppose to marry this kid and become some king or emperor or something.   
This has got to be a dream. Things like this only happen in Anime. Wake up Tenchi!* 

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Please send all comments to STRIKESTWICE@hotmail.com 


	2. Default Chapter Title

Ok, this is a standard disclaimer. The characters in this story are owned by AIC,   
Viz, and Pioneer. I just came up with the story, not the people. Don't sue me.   
Especially pioneer since I've already bought over a thousand dollars worth of electrical   
equipment and Anime from you this year. What more do you want from me?   
Now a little side note this story uses the Christian religion as a background. Any   
and all changes made that differ with Christian dogma were intentionally. Any changes   
or mistakes about the Shinto/Buddhism religion were done accidentally. 

Heart and Soul: 

Act 2: The Power of a Soul. 

In the last act, we left our poor in a kind of a fix. Poor Tenchi Masaki's parents   
were all tragically killed leaving him alone except for his adopted aunt, Washu.   
Thinking every thing was all right with the world he joyfully skipped along to a date with   
his fair lady, Kiyone. Unknown to him though he was being followed by both an angel   
and a demon each in search of his supposedly missing soul. Together they all arrived at   
the lady Kiyone's house when of all things a space ship landed and out popped a princess   
telling the confused Tenchi that he was soon to be a king and married to this ten year old   
girl. The whole situation sounds quite preposterous doesn't it. And now on to act two:   
The Power of a Soul. 

*** 

For some reason Tenchi's mind kept returning back to an old Anime he had seen   
once. The line "Tenchi Masaki, you are the map man." Running over and over through   
his head. This was definitely going on the too weird for words level. Some little girl   
telling him that he was a King and that they had to marry. It was beyond him what to do.   
But he had to make a decision quickly. The aliens was staring at him and god only knew   
what Kiyone was doing behind him. He liked her, hell maybe even could grow to love   
her, but damn she was such a tom boy.   
He mentally reviewed his available options. One, he could attack, though   
attacking a little girl was out of the question so that left the two logs and somehow he felt   
that those two logs could more then handle a little pounding by his baseball bat. Scratch   
attack as an option, at least for now. Two, he could run, a terrific idea in most   
circumstances and one that had saved his life and limb a number of times, all he had to   
do was point at some object behind the aliens and say something stupid like "look behind   
you" and run until you were a very, very long way away from here. Hell even one of his   
friends had nicknamed that strategy after him calling it the "Tenchi Maneuver."   
It was a good plan with one minor flaw, a space ship hovering over the house. It   
seemed unlikely that he could out run that. He scratched that plan for now but kept it at   
standby for a worse case scenario.   
That left talking with her. Slowly he put down the bat leaning slightly on it and   
waved the princess past the lowered portion of the house and into the rest. Feeling a little   
out of place and hoping that Kiyone would forgive him, he let the young girl and her two   
escorts enter the living room. The princess gave the room a small look and then took the   
center chair calmly sitting down and gazing at him as if this were her palace. The two   
stumps taking up a position behind her augmenting her regal appearance and giving off   
the impression of suppressed power. Tenchi grabbed Kiyone's hand, the one not buried   
in her skirt, and led her to the couch, both of them sitting down and facing the little girl.   
He marveled at her self control. Normally even trying to touch her would have resulted   
in a slap or other such physical violence, but perhaps it was just shock.   
"Um... I don't think I caught your name. I'm Tenchi Masaki." The words   
seemed stupid to him even as he spoke them.   
"No, you are Tenchi Jurai." The two eyes opposite from him stared on in their   
untouchable mask. "We are Princess Sasami Jurai." She finally told him breaking the   
silence that had been crushing the room and returning to it afterwards.   
"How about something to drink, maybe some tea?" Tenchi asked trying to break   
the atmosphere that was beginning to feel more and more like a funeral. She stared at   
him hard eyes not wavering at all.   
"No, We are fine, thank you." She looked him up and down. "In one day, an   
acceptable wait, we marry."   
If Tenchi had been eating something he would he would have choked.   
Swallowing forgetting everything about aliens and space ships credulity gathered in his   
voice. "Your only a little girl."   
Her mask failed to break at all. "One day then." She stood up preparing to leave.   
"No. I refuse." Large hard eyes stared even with him. She standing and him   
sitting, only emphasizing the difference in age. "Please just give me some time to think."   
He asked her, trying to calm his voice.   
"We will talk tomorrow, after the ceremony." She told him turning her back on   
the two humans exiting the house unescorted. Tenchi and Kiyone just sat on the couch   
deep in troubled thought, as a sonic boom marked the departure of the huge ship.   
Behind him Washu entered from the kitchen leaving behind the bound and   
gagged woman she had been sent to retrieve. "So Tenchi, that what you expected your   
family to be like?" She asked as she circled around the couch and took up the seat that   
the princess had just vacated.   
"Is she going to be all right?" Washu asked, noticing Kiyone had slid down the   
couch.   
"She doesn't take well to shocks. I think her understanding of reality is resetting   
itself." Tenchi smiled just a little. He straightened Kiyone removing the knife from her   
hand and putting a pillow behind her head.   
"You know who she was then?" He asked Washu sure of the answer.   
"No, I don't know exactly who that was. Yosho was always secretive about his   
family. But I do know that your grandfather was an alien. He landed on Earth three   
hundred years ago, I was there when it happened." Tenchi looked at her in shock. He   
had known that she never aged, but had always thought it was some peculiarity of   
genetics or a side effect of an experiment. And that she was only around forty not over   
three hundred years old.   
"He was running from something at the time, I don't know what. I was there   
when his shipped landed, no more like crashed, and pulled him out of the wreckage of it.   
He was badly injured and had to be nursed back to health. At that time I was the   
caretaker of the shrine. As time went by though more and more he was the one doing the   
work. My body the one you see before you was a gift from him though one with side   
effects." She smiled warmly a tear touching her eyes.   
"Just remember one thing Tenchi. Yosho always believed that no one can ever   
force you into anything. You always have freedom of choice." Choking back a sob that   
this conversation had lodged in her throat. Washu pushed herself out of the chair   
dwarfed by it. "Come on, help me with the new priestess and lets get back to the house   
so that you can think."   
Jerking his whole body he followed the diminutive form already deep in thoughts   
that only moved in circles. 

*** 

The priestess finally seen to a bed, her earlier crying over being tied up forgotten,   
as well as the aliens they had encountered. Tenchi walked alongside the pond in the   
moonlight trying to sort thoughts that had already run deep grooves in his mind. Casually   
picking up a stone and skipping it across the shallow pond towards the great tree,   
decorated in spirit traps, at the center.   
He was an alien, soon to be the king of this place called Jurai if the little girl was   
to be believed. And married that one was the kicker. The one that sent his thoughts back   
to the start so that once again they could circle around in his head.   
Washu had been no help whatsoever after her few sentences at Kiyone's, she had   
disappeared leaving him to apologize to the priestess. Kiyone had righted the world in   
her mind and leaving her stupor for long enough to tell him that she would come visit the   
shrine tomorrow to see if he was still there and then had quickly left for bed.   
Stuck with Miss Mihoshi as the only sounding board for his thoughts he had   
turned to the stars for guidance and had let his feet wander. Picking up another rock, he   
tested its balance and sent it skipping across the pond of shadows and moonlight   
counting how many times it bounced before sinking into the water. Grabbing up another   
rock he tossed it out on the pond watching it cause ripples and eddies in the water just   
barely visible in the gloom.   
He felt like the rock being tossed into a new place it didn't understand. Touching   
here and there but mainly letting itself be forced once again into the air until it landed   
and sank surrounded by too many troubles.   
He searched the ground again for the right type of rock. Flat and just about as   
long as his thumb. Picking up a number of likely contenders in his left hand he let   
another fly with his right. His eyes watching it skip merrily across the water tell it hit   
something floating peacefully in the darkness. Peering hard at the oddly shaped log its   
gentle drifting changed by the rock moving it from shadows to moonlight revealing a   
person floating face down in the water.   
Acting upon instinct he dived into the pond to pull the body from the water   
hoping against hope that he wasn't two late. Swimming powerfully his arms making   
large waves in the placid crystal clear water until he was next to her. Dog paddling with   
his feet and hands he saw that a woman, it was most definitely a woman, had been lucky   
enough to float on her side. Flipping her over so that he could swim with her head above   
the water. He slowly swam one handed back to the nearest shore. His toes finally   
touched dirt as he pulled himself and the woman onto the bank. Shivering as the cold   
water fell off of him onto the ground.   
Carefully he pulled the woman into a patch of moonlight and checked her pulse   
and breathing. She had stopped breathing her chest no longer moving up or down.   
Tenchi tilted her head back and kissed her blowing air into her lungs. In between breaths   
he carefully and efficiently checked her body for any other wounds, finding a large bruise   
and a trickle of blood on her scalp answered most of his questions as to how she had   
fallen in. If not why she had been in such a deserted place. He continued mouth to   
mouth, blowing life into her, watching her breasts rise and fall. Leaving a taste of mango   
on his lips.   
The moonlight seemed to wash over her face outlining feminine features and   
showing off a head full of grayish-blue hair roguishly covering parts of her face as it fell   
in wet cords around her. Her wet clothes, a simple T-shirt and blouse with skirt using the   
water to full advantage to highlight her chest.   
She was beautiful, of that Tenchi had no difficulty seeing almost to perfection.   
Coughing she started to breath again. Hurriedly Tenchi turned her onto her side   
allowing her to remove the pond water from her lungs. After a while her breathing   
settled down to a normal rate and she turned huge eyes upon her rescuer.   
"Thank you." She coughed her pale eyes trying to focus on him.   
"Are you okay, miss." He asked, helping her rise to a sitting position. That some   
how seemed to toss the shadows of moonlight around her face in merry abandonment.   
"I guess so. Though I feel like I just swallowed an entire lake." She said smiling   
up at him displaying a row of perfect white teeth that stopped his heart for a second.   
*Damn, she's half drowned and still looks like a goddess.*   
"I'm Tenchi Masaki and you are..." He trailed off expectantly hoping for an   
answer. A name to put with the face.   
"Ryoko," Her face lightened up. "Its nice to meet you Tenchi Masaki." She   
grinned at him.   
"How did you get into the pond, any ways?" Her grin turned sheepish.   
"Well it's kind of stupid. You see I'm a photographer and I've been using this   
special computer program to make trees look like they have spirits in them and then   
selling them as novelty items. The tree here is just perfect but, well I sort of wasn't   
watching which way I was going and well, you can guess the rest." Her smile sparkled at   
him leaving any other questions forgotten.   
"Come on, lets get you out of those wet clothes." He helped her to stand and was   
surprised to see that they stood eye to eye. Putting an arm around her, he led her back to   
the house his mind having forgotten smaller details like marriages and stuff in the light of   
a grateful young woman in his hands. 

*** 

Ryoko smiled and would have flicked her tail is she still had one. As the boy led   
her to his house. *That was just too easy. Yosho would never have fallen for that.* She   
restrained an urge to lick her lips as she "unsteadily" walked with the human's assistance   
making sure to brush the right parts of her anatomy with his at just the right moments.   
Coming upon a clearing she "accidentally" tripped. 

*** 

The woman, Ryoko, suddenly tripped over something in a field just out side view   
of the house. Sending both of them falling to the ground. With Tenchi somehow falling   
on top of the woman, facing her. Between their two bodies a flicker of moon light fell   
revealing her face down to the center of her cleavage. A button on her blouse having   
become undone. Tenchi gasped blushing a bright red, not moving frozen in the instant.   
"You know a lady might reward a handsome rescuer." She purred at him.   
The woman under him gasped in shock her eyes going from fully dilated to slits.   
Remembering himself Tenchi stood reaching out a hand to help the woman back up. She   
looked dazed at him. *She must still be in shock.* Grasping her arm he hurried her back   
towards the house. 

*** 

Ryoko smiled slightly at Tenchi. He might be a little inexperienced, but she was   
a good teacher. The shadows and light moving at her command left much to the   
imagination but giving just the right glimpse at the right time and spot.   
This was almost too easy. Now she slightly reassured him. "You know a lady   
might reward a handsome rescuer." She could see his eyes dilate even wider expanding   
as he got up the courage to kiss her and then, and then, a soul thread had attached to her   
from his darkness to her darkness plain as light. Time slowed and she gasped. *That   
isn't possible.* She had seduced hundreds of men this exact same way and no thread had   
ever bound her. She was suppose to be unable to have them bind to her. It was what had   
been decreed at the beginning of time.   
He had stood up, the moment ruined by her own actions and she mentally cursed   
herself. Grasping his hand she allowed Tenchi to lift her up. Something else was wrong   
the tiny little white line connecting him to her she could taste it. This taste, she could   
barely remember it. This was that which angels fed on. Something she had been denied   
for so long too sweet a joyous elixir. She felt herself getting drunk on the friendship and   
even a spark of love a delicious taste. Dazed and stumbling Ryoko let herself be led into   
the house. 

***   
"What is up with my life." Tenchi groaned to himself trying once again to sort   
his thoughts that Miss Ryoko had muddled to a dark black.   
He had safely seen her to bed in the same room with the priestess. Hoping that   
the snoring the blond woman was creating wouldn't stop her from being able to sleep.   
Their was something about that strange half drowned woman. He had come so close to   
kissing her and more. She had seemed to almost welcome him in those advances. No, he   
changed his mind she had been welcoming him.   
He shook his head sleep the farthest thing from his mind. He had more important   
things to think on then blue gray hair and the taste of mango. Tomorrow he had to figure   
out something to tell the little princess.   
Somehow though he felt the decision he had made earlier would stand.   
One thought tumbled after another as he finally dosed off. In a cold sweat he   
jerked up into a sitting position on his futon a thought racing through his mind. That if   
Kiyone ever found out about what happened after his dip in the pond he was a dead man.   
Spurring his thoughts around again as he fell into an uneasy sleep. 

*** 

Aeka bowed spear before her once again, shield strapped to her left arm. In   
resonance with that which gave it strength her spear was an almost unbelievable white   
power. It felt warm and comforting as her hand gently rested on it.   
Her lords power slightly dimmed as he was deep in thought contemplating her   
words and seeing that which she had seen. The giving of the information had left her   
feeling slightly dazed. If she had been alive she would have been breathing hard as it   
was, she felt like a part of herself had been temporarily dimmed.   
"Daughter," the voice seemed to whisper through out the room caressing her and   
refilling her energy. "Daughter, many times I and my followers have fought foreign   
gods. In those battles you have stood aside strengthening my followers will so that the   
battle would go in our favor." He smiled sadly. "We have crushed them and forced their   
followers into disbelief." His presence took all the bite out of his words. "You have   
always done your part little Aeka now I need you to be a scout."   
"But Ryoko."   
"Forget Ryoko your mission has changed find out how many souls these aliens   
command. Make sure that they are not trying to start a ministry here and win the soul of   
this half alien by all means possible." The words were spoken. Aeka had but to fulfill   
the orders. Bowing deeply she picked up her spear and left, wondering why such a job   
had been given to her. She wasn't even a guardian angel but an inspiration, a gentle   
thought of courage when someone needed it. She would carefully, oh so carefully, point   
someone in the path towards a better life and reinforce that life though her lord. She was   
over worked as it was even if all the major false religious were dead (1) or in the last   
dregs of dying. Though their were always new cults abroad. And lately more and more   
humans had been turning their minds towards science not religion. It was them that she   
dedicated the majority of her time trying to stop them from that path and change one soul   
at a time. They were losing this battle slowly but surely. The neutral souls like the one   
she had seen on the green hair girl were the result. When they died they just vanished   
going nowhere.   
Dutifully she caught hold of a string connected to a faithful soul and rode it down   
to Japan using it like a compass to guide her to the mortal realm. 

*** 

Awakening early and still tired from a night of half remembered dreams. Tenchi   
put on the robes of the monk that he was trying to be. Thinking twice about waking up   
the priestess he tip toed down the stairs and out of the house. Heading up the steps to the   
shrine near the top of the hill.   
Pre-dawn glistened through dew on the deciduous trees, enjoying the return of   
their green coats as late spring still brought fog to his breath. The shrine named after a   
tree spirit held its Matsuri Festival early in the season only a month away and yet it   
needed a vast amount of time and maintenance to get the old temple ready for that   
festival.   
He topped the stairs as the mountains on the east side of the valley finally allowed   
sunrise. Majestically discarding shadows to allow another day. And bringing into   
appearance one lone person standing before the shrine.   
Tenchi stopped surprised except for the Matsuri festival the temple had few   
visitors and very few of those came alone and never before had one arrived this early.   
Inflamed by dawns glory she prayed silently to the shrine. Wearing a traditional   
style Kimono with a odd color set and some sort of jeweled head piece. That held her   
waist length hair in a pig tail with two deadlocks to the front. He had to strain his eyes to   
see the color of her hair. The morning sunlight causing it to look a light violet. He   
finally decided that it was a deep purple in normal light. *What is it with girls hair today,   
whatever happened to just normal black and brown.* He stealthily approached her not   
wanting to break into her prayer.   
Immersed in her prayer she failed to even notice that he stood behind her a little   
to the left watching his breath form into clouds of mist. He remembered his grandfather   
had always seemed to sneak up on people at the shrine and was hopping that in that one   
small way, however ridiculous it might seem, he could fill Yosho's shoes.   
She straitened her back and turned around to stare at the sun finally noticing his   
presence.   
"I didn't mean to disturb you." Tenchi tried to get his eyes to focus on the young   
woman's face but she seemed to be almost glowing in the light.   
"You didn't disturb me. I was waiting for you." She gazed at him frankly, her   
eyes failing to need any protection from the sun at his back. "You will have to forgive   
me. I have never done something like this before." She paused obviously in deep   
thought.   
"Could I get a fortune at this early time. I realize that your not open, but I would   
really appreciate it."   
Tenchi scratched his head dipping it a little forward in embarrassment. "Sure."   
He walked slowly over to where the shutters protected the fortunes encased in little   
wooden boxes and opened them.   
Shaking the canister that held the mikuji until one of the fortune sticks fell out,   
inscribed with the number 43. Aware that she had an audience she pulled out the little   
wooden drawer labeled 43 and read the piece of paper inside of it. Turning it into the sun   
light she read aloud. "Trials of the heart and soul are ahead of you. Look carefully for   
new friends and foes stand on your horizon." She turned around gazing at the man who   
had let her gain these words of advice. 

*** 

Flames surrounded her, ashes choking the air and settling on her wings. She tried   
to shake them clear but they seemed to have taken on a permanent black color from the   
ash.   
"Come on, we have to take the repository. Everyone spread out." Her cell leader   
yelled at the small band of rebels as he disappeared in the smoke along with her   
comrades.   
She was already drained of power, to many times she had summoned the little   
helper spirits that had gave her a name. Now she used them for destruction and killing.   
It all felt wrong to her, something wasn't right. *Why am I doing this?* She ran off in   
search of the repository.   
The smoke cleared in front of her for just a second, revealing pure white and then   
gone in a haze of smoke. Her barren feet slipped on the gold street, a layer of ash coating   
the path she had been running on. Throwing her to one knee.   
"Sister." She knew that voice. The light that had been before her revealing itself   
to be an enemy. Pure as snow wings, the ashes seeming to dodge coming into contact   
with them, glistened before her. The angel held a spear of gold and a small buckler   
strapped to her left forearm.   
"Sister, beg forgiveness you know that He will forgive you. Please friend Ryoko   
the Spirit Caller."   
"Sister Aeka, is that you. Help me, something isn't right. I can't think. Help   
me."   
"Ryoko everything will be okay. Come with me. We will go and see Him." She   
shifted her spear into her left hand and reached down with her right.   
Pain shot through Ryoko's head at her touch. So much pain she had never ever   
felt its like before except second hand through humans. Aeka was hurled back clenching   
her spear. She shifted it to her right hand.   
"Sister you would betray me such." She braced the spear preparing to charge the   
kneeling foe that had given her such pain.   
"No, Aeka please, I..." New pain exploded in her breast as the spear buried itself   
deep into her chest. The blessing and holy runes giving it power beyond that of a normal   
spear, flashing to bright light. Ryoko screamed, pain beyond anything she could have   
imagined searing her. She was on fire a deep red that seemed to burn around her.   
Then blackness.   
A world stood before her when she opened her eyes. Not her home, not the   
humans world, no this was a place made of red fire and sulfur. Pain still crackled   
through her as tendrils of fire touched her. She furled her wings to try to save them from   
the flames, only to realize that they were already gone, replaced by a tail.   
The flames around her flared to new life and she fell to the ground rolling in pain   
screaming. She screamed for what felt like a million years but had only been a hundred. 

*** 

"Miss, wake up, please. Oh, you must wake up now your having a nightmare.   
Oh, what should I do." Someone was shaking her. Ryoko sat up fast, knocking Mihoshi   
onto her rear with a grunt of surprise. Her mind still feeling those first hundred years   
spent in the deepest parts of hell away from everyone, alone, so alone.   
Angels when they are banished from earth are just that locked from visiting the   
mortal realm. Demons though are taught new lessons. For one hundred years they are   
left alone in agony. It is a very good, if not excellent tool to train them then not to repeat   
their previous mistakes. But neither Angels nor Demons dreamed. They were in capable   
of dreaming. Having no reason to sort out their minds or worry about the days events.   
Nightmares, that was something different, though the majority were still human creations   
she had on a number of circumstances seeded someone's dreams with nightmares. But   
even that she should have been immune to. Just like the string glowing faintly on her   
chest. Even with the distance away from him it gave off a touch of comfort and love.   
Ryoko dressed as quickly as possible followed by a nagging Mihoshi. Following   
the thread attached to her. She went looking for the boy Tenchi. 

*** 

"Aeka, that's a beautiful name." He handed her the tea cup filled with steaming   
bitter green tea.   
They had moved from outside to the monks quarters. Talking about   
inconsequential, such as the weather.   
His cup lay drained along with hers and the great weather that had been promised   
at sunrise had already turned into sheets of rain.   
She seemed to be studying him. Trying to get a feel of what he was like.   
"I really have work to do." He sighed looking at the rain. "At least its just   
indoors stuff." 

*** 

Aeka fingered the tea cup that had been full a half hour ago. She wished that she   
could see his soul. But somehow she already knew what it would tell her. This boy had   
too much goodness coming from him. The strings that she could see connecting him   
were many. A large knot tied to a number of them showing that they were once   
connected to the now dead. Normally, she didn't work conversions that was the job of   
the more soldierly of His followers. For a second she thought about following the   
example of that hussy Ryoko and seducing him or at least something like that. But she   
tossed the thought away, scared that she had even thought it.   
Tenchi began collecting up the tea items. Handling them almost reverently as if   
they held some added meaning to him. He calmly smiled and reached out a hand for her   
cup. Smiling slightly back she handed him her cup touching the side of his hand by   
accident.   
A soul string, she hated the term thread of fate, had attached itself to her hand.   
She vainly waved her hand to unseat it afraid that she had tampered with his destiny to   
the point that one of his threads had been unseated by her except it didn't come off   
instead it climbed slowly up her arm across her shoulder and chest and proudly stuck to   
where her heart would have been.   
Aeka tried to grab it off yanking with both her hands to no avail.   
"Miss Aeka, are you ok?" At his words the string seemed to grow even brighter   
and thicker. Firmly attaching the two of them together, even worse she could feel   
concern radiate over it the pleasure was almost that of standing in His presence.   
"I'm fine. Thank you for worrying about me."   
"Thank Tsunami." He breathed.   
"Who?"   
"The guardian spirit of this shrine." He paused. "The tree and water Kami."   
"Oh, of course." She hadn't paid much attention to who the shrine had been for.   
Only that it was of the Shinto cult. 

*** 

The shutters of the little shrine blew inward releasing a sonic boom on the little   
enclosed area. The irreplaceable pair of matching tea cups that had been his grandfathers   
went flying into the air and broke into a thousand pieces. Tenchi choked back a sob.   
Outside displayed in all its glory, the alien ship hovered causing a dry patch where rain   
should have fallen incessantly.   
"Please, Miss Aeka, stay here. This is something I must do." He asked her   
almost too softly for her to hear over the rain before dashing outside drenched   
immediately. Not even bothering to approach the dry patch he stood outside of the   
shrine. Staring at the huge ship Aeka watched him calmly from one of the broken   
windows.   
Once again the ball of light descended from the ship onto the area shielded from   
the rain. It popped, revealing the two wooden logs and one diminutive little girl. They   
both waited, seeing who would come to who. A long time passed with both of the aliens   
staring at each other. Finally the little girl approached walking out of her umbrella and   
into the rain shivering slightly.   
"Are you ready." Her face was a mask, cold and unreadable. Tenchi wouldn't   
have even thought she was alive except for the shivering she was trying hard to repress.   
"No." He quietly told her and turned walking back towards the shrine.   
"Their is no, no!" Her voice going from young to commanding the shivering that   
had wracked her body gone by complete physical control. "There was only a nice way   
and the hard way." He turned around afraid for the first time today and also a bit angry.   
The woman, Ryoko, had just appeared climbing the stairs in the front of the   
shrine. Behind her out of breath and winning the blond hair priestess arrived as well. 

*** 

Aeka saw Tenchi's soul for the first time. His decision not to go with the aliens   
revealing it for some reason. The majority still clouded in darkness but one ray of clear   
white light escaped. Somehow she knew that the rest was the exact same color.   
The ray of light darkened and was hidden again. Looser threads connecting to   
him snapped. Major threads withered and became pale. Except for one newly forged   
ribbon directly connected to the little princess. Strong and bright it burned. Gathering up   
threads that had been snapped and creating a chain of iron light to the young man.   
Aeka saw the small little line that connected her and Tenchi together wither and   
fall apart. She blinked back tears that she hadn't know she could shed and shifted.   
Clothed proudly in light white silk. Spear and shield adorning her hands. She   
spread her wings. This was the first time that she had ever walked the mortal realm in   
her true form and it felt good. Glowing slightly, she flew out the shattered window.   
Flapping her wings twice she landed in front of Tenchi between him and the little girl   
who was rewriting his soul. 

*** 

Gasping hard, trying not to scream from the loss of the little thread that was   
dimming with every second Ryoko charged forward leaving Mihoshi behind on the last   
stair.   
Somehow impossibly that little girl, the princess of an alien goddess, was   
changing Tenchi's soul by force. Even worse he was forgetting her. There was no way   
that she would ever go back to being alone again. Not while he was alive and no one had   
better stand in her way.   
She could never muster enough power to attack the girl in her false human form.   
She changed in a heart beat teleporting herself in front of Tenchi. Aeka somehow stood   
beside her. She felt an old ball of hate rise to the surface. But the other woman failed to   
attack her caught up in trying to stop the control spell being wrought. Ryoko felt her   
bond to Tenchi begin to pull away like a physical pain. Uncaring, now she charged at the   
princess leaving her back undefended. 

*** 

Forced to rational thought by the sight of Ryoko, plunging into a head long attack   
on the princess. Aeka formed a power web to her spear praying for energy she normally   
couldn't hope to command and forcing it into the spirit world.   
Told never to even attempt such an action she tried to cut the iron force that was   
binding Tenchi's soul. Impact with it sent her reeling as if she had touched live wires   
with metal. For a brief moment the power of the binding had dimmed and then reeled   
back twice as bright, strong as iron and just as difficult to cut.   
It looked like, somehow, she was stuck in a physical confrontation with an alien   
and her oldest enemy her only ally. 

*** 

Pushing a hand into the ground, Ryoko called, and was answered by a minor   
guardian spirit of the shrine. Not even pausing she teleported behind the princess and let   
off a pair of power balls.   
The two logs that had been placidly following the little girl suddenly came alive.   
One charging after her blocking the balls of light with a shield it projected. And then   
firing back from a jewel set near the top. She teleported again dodging and formed a   
sword of blood red in her hand grinning evilly. 

*** 

One of the logs blocked Aeka's way as the other one attacking Ryoko. It paused   
waiting to see if she harbored hostile intend.   
Preying, Aeka charged her spear again and flew forward on a ramming course her   
wings flapping huge and stately arcs. The piece of a tree before her fired off the same   
energy projectile the other had used on Ryoko. She blocked with her buckler and crashed   
into the stump driving her spear deep into its side. Instead of showing pain it rotated   
rapidly to the right forcing Aeka to hold onto her weapon at all cost or be thrown. A bolt   
of energy sped from its jewel again, unprepared to block this time she took the full power   
of the blast sending her flying across the ground. Pain coursing from the area that had   
been hit. Leaving her spear behind, imbedded in the tree. 

***   
Still trying unsuccessfully, to keep her hair dry with her umbrella, the blond   
priestess watched the fight unsure who to cheer for.   
The nice young lady with the nightmares had some how grown a tail and was   
throwing bolts of light, flying, and teleporting. While the little princess seemed to be   
completely ignoring the battle. The only other person she recognized was the dark hair   
boy she was suppose to help take care of the shrine with.   
Before her in-between the fight an Oni began to rise out of the ground.   
Finally something she could do. Taking out her wand with its paper spirit traps at   
the end she dismissed the spirit before it even had a chance to fully form.   
Congratulating herself, she only got the spell right about one out of three times,   
she wandered into the battle towards Tenchi. 

*** 

Somehow her demon had been dismissed. Leaving her sapped as the power she   
had been using to form it snapped. The tree fired at her again causing her to teleport.   
The world went black for a second and then phased back into view showing two lines of   
red light coming at her. Somehow the stump had anticipated where she would return at.   
*Thats not possible.* Pain lanced through her as she crashed into the ground. Once   
again Ryoko gathered the power to call forth a spirit to aid her. The tree fired at her, not   
giving her a chance to fully form the spell as she dodged.   
The battle had pulled the two logs away from their ward. With a feral grin Ryoko   
teleported behind the princess and struck out with her light sword. It skittered across a   
barrier held by miniature versions of the logs she was battling. They just appeared with   
no warning given, Ryoko was forced to dodge to her left as the stump behind her opened   
fire. She flew around it trying to spot any weaknesses. 

*** 

*Tsunami, this is wrong.* Sasami yelled battering against the walls that had   
sprung up between her and her body.   
*You are to young to understand, this must be done for the good of Jurai.* She   
strengthened the spell holding Tenchi cutting off unneeded connections to his soul and   
firmly attaching them to her and Sasami.   
*Jurai is dead! They are all dead!* The strong emotion crumbled one of   
Tsunami's walls forcing her to refocus to rebuild it. A few of Tenchi's fate strings fell   
from her grasp and reconnected themselves unsteadily to where they belonged.   
Exasperated, she grabbed those threads again only to see one of the local servant   
spirits crash into the uneven stone ground. It was the one who had tried to sever her   
connection earlier. One of her beautiful white wings crumpled slightly and sat wrong on   
her back. A flash of memories filled Tsunami's mind of a young girl finding a bird with   
a wing the same way in the palace gardens. How she had secretly nursed it back to   
health. Afraid that she would be caught and punished for showing an emotion. Afraid   
that she would be forced to perform the purification ceremony again. Tsunami tried to   
block the memories. Memories that were not her own. This host was flawed so terribly   
flawed. Her barriers crumbled underneath the weight of those emotions. She once again   
lost the control of the host body.   
The spell uncompleted began to unravel it's self, slowly at first then picking up   
speed as more of the knots that held it unraveled.   
"Stop it!" The princess yelled. "Please, stop it." She started crying. Tears   
streaming down the side of her face as the two logs with drew from their attack taking up   
protective positions around her. The two guardian spirits assuming the same stance   
around Yosho's grandson. 

*** 

Aeka was confused, the enemy had withdrawn just before it would have banished   
her. Unsteadily she walked over to where Tenchi was, cradling her wings carefully   
against her back. The knot of souls the alien had been wrongfully weaving falling apart.   
She sighed as the thread linking her attached itself again brighter and stronger then   
before.   
Ryoko teleported next to her. Ignoring her old enemy for the new common one.   
They both stared at the little princess who seemed even smaller and crying silent   
long trails of tears down her face.   
Focusing her mental energy she called her spear to her and took up a defensive   
stance waiting. 

*** 

The darkness parted tearing away. The paralysis that had held him fading to a   
memory. Tenchi blinked his eyes. Before him stood two woman and then a little farther   
the little princess, crying, and her two guardians.   
Not knowing exactly why. Tenchi rushed forward past the two woman who he   
vaguely recognized, past the two logs who failed to stop him, and up to the princess.   
He hugged her giving her a shoulder to cry on, and softly stroked her hair.   
Whispering "Don't worry. It'll be okay." 

*** 

Ryoko watched surprised that she felt this jealous. The bonds that held her to   
Tenchi strong again. The weavings of their enemy remained though not overly large,   
about the same size as the one connecting her and, the name leaving a bitter taste in her   
mouth, Aeka.   
  


(1) This is a lie but one she makes unknowingly. Their religions are based on the   
faith of their followers. So Aeka can not, will not, believe in what is to her a false god   
unless they were attacked. In such a situation almost always the demons will throw in   
with the so called false religion reinforcing the angels belief that it was a false religion.   
The basic religions require about 500,000 followers to have an advanced and fully   
realized religious system. Below that thought noise and disbelief drown it out. This was   
not always so. The threshold has increased dramatically with the advanced birth of   
science and non religions methods of explaining reality, such as evolution. A smaller   
group though of say larger then a hundred can perform miracles. Even one person can   
perform a miracles if they believe hard enough. But with more followers the greater the   
strength and number of helpful guardian spirits. After they breach the follower threshold   
though the religion can form and create such places as a heaven and hell.   


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	3. Default Chapter Title

This is a standard disclaimer. The characters in this story are owned by AIC, Viz,   
and Pioneer. I just came up with the story, not the people. Don't sue me. Especially   
Pioneer since I've already bought over a thousand dollars worth of electrical equipment   
and anime from you this year. What more do you want from me?   
Now a little side note this story uses the Christian religion as a background. Any   
and all changes made that differ with Christian doctrine were made on purpose so that   
the story could be told. Any changes or mistakes about the Shinto religion were done   
accidentally, though. 

Heart and Soul: 

Act 3: The Needs of a Soul. 

Here's what happened so far. Our hero, a Mr. Tenchi Masaki, is a poor orphan,   
more like well off too rich one, living with his adopted Aunt, little Washu, a scientist girl   
over three hundred years old. As part of his inheritance Tenchi takes care of the Tsunami   
Shrine.   
On the way to a date with his fair lady, Kiyone of the Orange Headband, a   
spaceship arrives popping out a little princess, Kawaii Sasami-Chan, who informed   
Tenchi, Mr. Nose Bleed himself, that he was the next king of Jurai and had to marry her.   
Tenchi refused but the alien princess told him that he had one day to prepare for the   
wedding and left. Auntie Washu, then informed Tenchi that his grandfather had been an   
alien. That night Tenchi rescued a half drowned woman, unknown to him the demon   
Ryoko, from his pond. The next morning he met up with another young woman, the   
angel Aeka, as they were getting to know each other the alien princess arrives and   
forcibly tries to rewrite Tenchi's soul after he refused her wedding plans again. A battle   
ensues between the Guardians of Jurai, Aeka, and Ryoko. That is finally finished by the   
princess crying. The rewrite of Tenchi's soul being partially successful he comforts her.   
Oh, yea... Mihoshi's in there somewhere too.   
And now onto Act 3: The Needs of a Soul. 

*** 

The morning light drifted through the sliding glass doors setting the dust alight in   
an intricate little dance of warmth and light. Aeka slowly opened her eyes staring into   
the light awake from the healing sleep. Carefully, she flexed the wing that had been   
injured just yesterday. Still slightly sore, but the bones had knitted. She could use the   
wing and that was what mattered.   
Yesterday's battle had ended, just as suddenly as it had begun. The angels   
version of adrenaline, a sort of hyped up energy output, had washed out of her body in   
seconds leaving her bruised, tired, and in pain. She had collapsed next to Ryoko with an   
uncertain future.   
Someone must have carried her into this room. Her spear and shield were neatly   
resting against a wall. *It wasn't Ryoko, she couldn't have moved them if she had   
wanted too. It must have been Tenchi.* She flexed her wing again to full extension,   
feeling something holding it preventing it from moving past a certain point. Craning her   
head back she saw a splint holding it in place. Smiling at such a simple act of goodness,   
the angel stood and willed the piece of cloth to untangle. Watching the splint fall to the   
ground.   
She morphed herself back into the Kimono wearing form, that she had used   
before when she first met Tenchi. Her wings disappearing in a twinkle of light and dust.   
Aeka walking around the room gathering up her weapons and hiding them as she   
had her wings. Then with an air of resolution she opened the sliding wooden door and   
looked out into the hallway. Down the left side of the hall led a stair way. The right a   
number of doors probably a bathroom and the master bed room.   
Almost floating, like a bird choosing each step and trying to leave the least mark,   
she walked towards the stairs. Trying to get a feel for the occupants by the condition of   
the house. There was an almost over welling feeling of love associated with it that   
brought a slight smile to her face. This house had been built to commemorate a love.   
Aeka paused on the landing examining the huge family room with its rafters   
ceiling. The light smell of breakfast blew through the empty room along with the sound   
of voices and laughter coming from somewhere not visible from the landing.   
It was like a dream. Something out of a legend. A happy family sharing a   
peaceful breakfast together. It was a good feeling. A nice peaceful relaxation that made   
all of yesterday's pain and fighting drift away into a dream. And the dream of a normal   
peaceful place reality. This was the best of foods for her. Even from this distance she   
could feel herself absorbing their love and growing stronger. There was all so something   
deeply wrong with it Ryoko was down there. To have that much goodness surrounding   
her to the point that the stench of her evil was completely drowned out was amazing.   
The little red line attaching her to that human led directly towards the sound of   
laughter and the smell of food. She followed it down the remaining stairs and across the   
huge living room to the kitchen. A counter divided the room she was in from the kitchen   
allowing her to finally see the kitchen's occupants. Ryoko was there, the boy, that girl   
who had almost banished her was watching the boy cook fascinated, a blond, and a red   
headed child she didn't recognize.   
The boy was once again a black pool from which it was impossible to gage his   
soul by her second sight. A large number of life threads left the darkness including one   
to her, Ryoko, the princess, the red headed kid though of a different color and intensity   
then the previous three, two or three of the threads that were faint and a few that were   
black and tied off in knots signifying a love one who had passed away.   
The demon, looking entirely too smug with herself, was the first to notice Aeka   
giving her a lopsided smile. "So your finally awake, Aeka." As the rest of the people in   
the kitchen turned to see how their injured guest was doing.   
"Ms. Ryoko was just telling us what old friends you are." Tenchi told Aeka   
giving her a cheerful smile.   
"I can imagine." Aeka gritted her teeth, to readying herself for the inevitable   
battle. If only she had more energy.   
"Its amazing, two different species of aliens visiting us in two days." The red   
headed girl said examining her closely as Ryoko had the good graces to look a little   
chagrin. "You will let me run a few experiments on you?"   
"Um... maybe another time. Ryoko can I have a few words with you outside?"   
Aeka asked as calmly as she could. Then she did one of the hardest things ever in her   
life. She turned her back to Ryoko and walked out of the house and waited for the   
demon.   
Her enemy walked out behind Aeka and closed the sliding glass door giving her a   
cocky grin. It took all of her will power but Aeka stopped herself from grabbing up her   
spear and attacking the evil before her.   
"Demon, leave now and I won't banish you."   
"Aeka, poor dear little Aeka, you barely have the energy to hold your human   
form. Do you really think you can banish me. Any ways, I don't want to fight at least   
not here. If you would care to go somewhere more private..." She pointed at the glass   
doors and the curious observers who were setting the table watching them.   
"You will not seduce his heart demon."   
"And what will stop me, you, that little girl, or his girlfriend? You know that they   
have not the experience or presence I have." She smiled at Aeka letting her human form   
slip enough to show fangs.   
"I just have to tell him *The Truth.* After that he would never want you."   
"*The Truth* little girl do you have any idea what *The Truth* is? *The Truth*   
is betrayal, hate, envy, lust and greed. Those are *The Truths* things created by   
humans." Ryoko fired back beginning to shake in anger.   
"Demon you will not confuse me with your words. Your kind hasn't spoken a   
word of truth since they tossed away their vows of loyalty to Him." Aeka's hand   
clenched into a fist. She could almost feel the comforting weight of her spear in her   
hand.   
"Don't talk to me about something you know nothing about." Ryoko yelled at   
her.   
The sliding door opened startling both of them as Tenchi walked out onto the   
patio. Her little red thread tightened around Aeka's heart and she gasped at the feelings   
that rolled off of him and into her.   
"Ms. Aeka, Ryoko, we're ready to eat breakfast now. If you would care to join   
us." He looked ready to close the door but paused when Ryoko started walking towards   
him smiling.   
"We were finished any ways." Ryoko grabbed onto one of the boys arms   
snuggling up close to him and causing him to blush.   
Aeka found herself left frowning at the two as Tenchi escorted the demon into his   
home. He turned around and smiled at her again. "Ms. Aeka are you feeling better?"   
Ryoko hidden from Tenchi's sight grimaced slightly that he had even remembered her   
rival.   
"Much better, thank you for asking." Aeka told him following the two in front of   
her feeling unsure about herself and slightly jealous. She felt out of place in this large   
house full of people she didn't know. None of them had one single tie to her lord. What   
was she doing her? What she should do is attack Ryoko. That was the only thing that   
could justify her being here. But to attack was against her nature. That left her so few   
options, all of which conflicted with other instructions. Some of which even Ryoko   
couldn't get out of like revealing their true existence.   
Gracefully she sat down at the low table and accepted a bowl of rice from the red   
headed girl trying to focus on what was going on around her. She could read so little   
about these people. The blond was the easiest. A worshiper of a false religion but a   
good person with no evil intentions and yet she seemed to lack any strong emotional ties   
for one of such goodness. The red hair girl was almost as much a mystery as the boy but   
for different reasons. Goodness and evil seemed to swirl around her soul. For a child she   
had experienced too much, made to many good and evil decisions. A tangle of threads   
left her only to be cut short and tied off in knots by death. Only one thread out of at least   
20 was still alive and that one was connected to the boy. Which only increased her   
confusion for the string when examined was one a mother would have for a son. Not a   
younger child's attachment to an older.   
That only left the little girl sitting across from her, the one who had only   
yesterday tried to kill her. The second sight of the girl just left Aeka even more   
bewildered. At times their was nothing like Tenchi but every so often it changed for an   
instant revealing... She didn't know what it revealed but it wasn't... It wasn't what   
should be. That was the only way she could phrase it. Even more peculiar this princess   
was studying her just as much, with a mournful look on her face.   
"I... no we apologize for injuring you." The ten year old told her looking   
solemnly up at Aeka.   
"Ugh.... thank you."   
"It was... we did not mean to... I'm sorry." She told Aeka once again.   
"No need to worry." The angel sipped on her tea. "I am completely recovered."   
She felt better too. Some of her strength was returning at being so close to Tenchi. She   
would have to talk to him alone later as well as report back to heaven soon. But for right   
now she was going to absorb this rooms goodness, like laying in a pool of morning   
sunlight, and regain her strength. 

*** 

Staring out the windows of the bus, Kiyone tried to organize her mind once more   
into a coherent state. Trying to gather what remained of the fierce courage that everyone   
had always respected her for. The spirit that had scared her parents witless imagining   
that she would fall out of some tree she had climbed to high or challenge a bully that was   
more then a match for her. She had lived for that adrenaline rush as she pushed herself   
beyond what any rational person would say was more then enough. She was   
unstoppable, unbeatable, and not afraid of anyone or anything. Until two days ago.   
That little girl had showed her something that she wasn't ready to handle.   
Insanity, things that didn't fit in her tightly ordered little world and she coolly admitted to   
herself, mind. She was suppose to be the leader. It was suppose to be her world to   
choose what thrill to seek. Nothing was suppose to change that. And a huge space ship   
did not fit into her plans. She could get over that experience. It was what had happened   
yesterday that was much worse. She had seen the exact same space ship hovering over   
the Masaki Shrine and had turned away, frightened, and gone home.   
Kiyone removed her headband and stared at it. Lovingly fingering the old piece   
of material that was so much a part of herself and contemplated throwing it away. This   
was what had been her courage for so long. A gift and a few words of wisdom from her   
father when she had broken her arm for the first time. He had wiped the eyes of that little   
four year old girl, smiling proudly at his daughter hiding his concern behind that look of   
fierce pride.   
"Don't cry." He had told her tied this brilliant orange headband around her hair.   
"You showed great courage today, let it be part of your strength." Her left arm had rose   
to finger the material. For a few seconds forgetting the pain in the right. Then in a truly   
great hug had squashed herself to her father in happy delight that removed any thoughts   
of pain from her mind.   
She had used those same memories to block out the pain of her fathers death a   
month later. The tears stopped by a bright orange headband looking gaily out of place   
amongst the black and grays that surrounded her at the funeral.   
Kiyone replaced her headband tightly wrapping it in place against her hair and   
picked up the naginata that she had retrieved from her school, carefully sheifed and   
covered. With an air of determination she exited the bus staring up at the hill that held   
the Masaki residence. Nothing looked unusual today just blue sky and green trees.   
Released she let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. Today would not   
be a repeat of yesterday. She was not a coward. She had the courage to make of life   
whatever she wanted it to be.   
She walked around the lake listening to the sound of birds chirping happily and   
wondered with mild annoyance what they were so happy about. The rain from yesterday   
had knocked all the dust off the surrounding plants next to the country road giving them a   
bright fresh scrubbed feeling.   
*Why does anyone live this far out anyways?* The road had bottomed out   
leaving an area for car parking and a small quarter mile trail that led the rest of the   
distance around the dark blue lake. This place seemed to peaceful, to normal, for what   
had happened yesterday she thought tiredly as the house finally came into sight.   
Steeling herself, Kiyone walked onto the porch and knocked hard on the front   
door with more bravo then she felt shifting the naginata into her right hand. 

*** 

The doorbell chimed calling the table's occupants attention to a new visitor.   
Rising from his kneeling position Tenchi put down his chopsticks and went to answer the   
door. Curious who would be visiting them so early on a Sunday morning. It was actually   
a bit of a relief to be away from the table and the aura of suppressed tension that hung in   
the air carefully covered by all with happiness and laughter. So many things that had   
happened in the past few days confused him. He knew that something important had   
happened when he blacked out. There had been a fight, he was sure of that, but who   
against who was something he still couldn't figure out and then he had awakened to see   
this little girl crying. Some instinct be it that of a man seeing a women crying or that of   
an adult seeing a child crying had awoken and he had gone to confront her.   
Behind him Aeka had crumpled to the ground falling hard on her broken wing   
and damaging it further. The little girl had hurriedly wiped away her tears running over   
to the fallen woman trying to move her to a more conformable position. Tenchi still   
dazed from whatever had attacked him, had helped carry the woman to his home helping   
the princess put a splint on the broken wing. Watched the entire time by a completely   
uninterested Ryoko and an overly helpful Mihoshi.   
The chimes rang out again as he opened the door. Sunlight leaking into the   
darkened hallway and with it Kiyone dressed in her normal pants and T-shirt, carrying a   
long pole wrapped in cloth.   
"Kiyone, I thought you were coming by yesterday?" He glanced uneasily at the   
pole sure of what was contained in the cloth and hoping she didn't plan to use it against   
him. She just looked closely at him once and started to say something.   
"Tenchi, Tenchi, look what I found. Its a Jurain sword." Princess Sasami called   
rushing around the corner carrying an old family heirloom that might have one been the   
hilt of a sword. Kiyone backed away slightly, her stance shifting as the top half of the   
pole dropped low and the rear raised behind her.   
"Calm down, Kiyone!" Tenchi yelled at her standing in-between the princess and   
Kiyone. He motioned the princess to back away out of Kiyone's sight but the girl ignored   
him.   
"It's ok, every things fine." Kiyone's face was like stone, not giving any   
expression that he could read.   
"I thought... I thought that she had taken you..." She whispered staring at the little   
girl. The princess stared back as time began to slow down. The little girl screamed a   
shriek that seemed to resonate to the very soul and grabbed her head falling hard onto the   
ground. Kiyone jumped back and in a second had her naginata out of its cloth shief   
preparing to defend against an attacker. Tenchi ran towards the princess protecting her   
with his own body from Kiyone, cradling her to his chest.   
The other ladies who had been sitting around the table rushed into the hall behind   
Tenchi and the princess. All staring confusedly at the woman outlined in sunlight and   
holding a long pike.   
A blackness engulfed Tenchi and for a long moment there was nothing and then   
he stood on a wooden ship. 

*** 

The ragtag group of F.T.L. freighters, two ex-mothballed warships that had been   
in a lagrange point hopefully never too be used again, and two commercial liners, were   
all that remained of the once proud fleet. With the "Tsunami" in low earth orbit Admiral   
Strelar was in charge of the supposedly newly commissioned Jurain First Fleet. It hadn't   
worked out like that though. With the princess away the newly commissioned captains   
of the other ships were agreeing with everything she said and then doing whatever they   
wanted to when comms were broken.   
She didn't really blamed them. She had not been trained for leadership. All of   
her training had been in space engineering. Strelar had been out supervising construction   
of a new experimental astroid smelting factory when the attack had occurred. By the   
time the radio waves had reached the factory, it was to small to rate a priestess, the   
attackers had already destroyed Jurai, the surrounding fleet, and space stations and had   
reentered F.T.L.   
Strelar had lost two sons, a husband, and a large number of extended family in   
that fierce battle. She looked out upon her ragtag crew watching them struggle to   
perform duties they had no training in. This ship wasn't even a modern tree ship but a   
hunk of metal, from the old war days. When tree ships were still to new and valuable to   
be risked in the final war.   
She should have been there with her family when the attack occurred. The time   
spent in space away from them hadn't been worth not knowing them better. Even if it   
had sounded like a good idea at the time for her to avoid the last of the heretic wars and   
the exile.   
"Admiral, we are detecting an F.T.L. ripple, calculating!" One of her officers   
called out from the comm station. She had enough time to look at the newly promoted   
officer before her ship depreasurized. The air pressure differential throwing her towards   
the new hole that had been hull a moment before. Air ripped from her lungs as she   
frantically tried to hold onto anything as the ship shuddered again and she lost her   
balance smashing her head smashed against the side of the hull thankfully knocking her   
passed out as she was blown into space along with the rest of the bridge crew. 

*** 

Things were getting interesting. The boy's girlfriend had shown up and maybe   
wounded the alien. Who had started screaming a high pitch wale that cut to the very   
soul. To Ryoko's second sight the insanity of her nothingness was fluctuating a riot of   
color as other souls rushed towards that blackness. Hundreds of souls, newly dead,   
crying their first scream as they were born into a new world.   
The world shifted as if she had teleported and became one made of wood.   
Ryoko's second sight left instantly. She could feel her power draining away until it   
became hard just to mimic breathing. This was a shrine to a god. Unlike her saintly   
sister, Ryoko had fought besides the followers of false gods and knew the power of their   
existence in a sort of clinical sense. But in a deeper part, her center, she still failed to   
believe in them.   
This shrine was powerful, a symbol among symbols of the alien's religion.   
Ryoko's human guise flickered and then failed altogether before the power that was   
contained in this room. Aeka stood behind her in even worse shape using her spear as a   
cane to keep her feet. Her proud wings drooping slightly at the loss of power.   
The little girl wasn't there any more in her place was a goddess. Standing   
Proudly in front of a huge tree. Twin streams of water flowed around the tree connecting   
to small ponds and then cascading down a pair of waterfalls into one large pond at the   
base. The princess glowed with spiritual power. It was like trying to look at Him using   
only normal human sight. She blocked out any hope of Ryoko using second sight. Her   
power acting like static on that sense. The humans blinked focusing as the room shook   
and the weight inside the room increased pressing Ryoko down towards the floor. She   
saw Aeka lose her precarious balance and tumble to the floor. Ryoko grinned slightly   
and then as the weight increased gratefully sat down on the floor. She was going into   
space. Not the first of her kind to follow a human into the unknown darkness, but a first   
for her. The pressure eased gradually allowing Ryoko, Aeka, and behind her out of view   
at first, the three other women to stand.   
The girl that she had seen earlier with Tenchi was in the midst of hysterics at one   
time waving her pike angrily and the next second looking completely out of it. Uncertain   
exactly which was the correct response in this situation.   
Lights flared on behind Ryoko and she turned around to confront a new enemy.   
Only to realize that it was a screen displaying a large bland ship.   
The ship displayed was round in shape with what was obviously an engine added   
to the rear in a box design creating an overall look of a round fish. It was ugly, but   
functional, nothing compared to the graceful beauty of the "Tsunami." The image of the   
ship disappeared on the screen replaced by a young woman who looked infinitely older.   
"Tsunami, it has been awhile." The woman grinned at everyone on the ship. She   
was wearing some sort of odd red head dress in her gold hair. Her grin was knowing as if   
she had some secret that she didn't want to share.   
"Tokimi." The Goddess whispered in reply.   
"You remember me. I'm so honored, sister." The young woman on the screens   
face changed to that of disdain at the other occupants of the wooden ship. Her eyes cold   
as steel as she gazed at each person on the "Tsunami."   
"I am not your sister, oath breaker!" The little girl sneered back at the tall lady.   
Their two expressions remarkably similar even with the disparity between their ages.   
The woman on the display chuckled slightly.   
"Oath breaker? Is that what you call me now? After what you did? After the   
promises you broke?"   
"How dare you!" The little princess interrupted beginning to shake in anger.   
"Enjoy the sweet pleasure that is the death of you followers." The woman began   
to laugh a high cackle that set everyone's nerves on edge. Ryoko finally knew what was   
wrong with this goddess. She had seen it a few times as false gods who had power at one   
time lost the last of their followers to death and other gods. Their stability, their mind,   
begins to lose balance as the carefully arranged hierarchy of their religion was rearranged   
to fit the views of a few followers that used to have the support of thousands.   
"For now I am going to add these people to the ranks of the dead." Tokimi   
smiled once before her face disappeared revealing the circular ship.   
"The target ship matches information given about the attacker of Jurai. It also   
matches the records of the..." He stopped talking as Tsunami held up one hand.   
"I know."   
The ship on the screen began to accelerate towards Earth. Avoiding the   
"Tsunami" as it spun around the planet heading for a low orbit.   
"Stop her!" Tenchi yelled at the goddess. "You can't let her attack Earth."   
"It doesn't matter." She failed to even look away from the screen. "Tokimi will   
be at her weakest after she has destroyed the planets population and think me weaker   
then too. That will be the time to attack."   
"Do what Tenchi says!" The girlfriend had regained her balance and some clarity   
of action. She positioned her pike for a change. Tip slightly lowered pointing at the   
ground. To her left Aeka weakly followed her example.   
"How can you sacrifice so many?" Aeka asked as her spear began to dimly glow.   
Startling Ryoko *Where is she getting that much power that she can charge the spear in   
this shrine?*   
"They are only heretic followers of false gods. It is better that they all die then   
remain living in their lie." The girl calmly replied watching the screen. Both Aeka and   
Kiyone charged her in almost perfect unison only to be stopped after one step held   
perfectly still.   
Ryoko chuckled at the two woman's foolishness to attack a goddess on her own   
sacred ground was sure lunacy. That only a fool would even dare try. This was her   
sanctuary only by defaming it in some way or destroying her followers would it be   
otherwise.   
The little girls body began to shake as a long tear trickling down the side of her   
face. But the control of the body remained firmly with the higher being who calmly   
watched the other ship descend towards Earth conferring softly with the long wooden   
stumps.   
Ryoko could almost see the thoughts traveling in the goddess' head. It was so   
simple. She was waiting for her opponent to tire herself out on the non-combatants and   
then Tsunami would descend on her opponent when Tokimi was at her weakest having   
used the power to destroy the population and her ability to retreat cut off by the planet.   
Tokimi's ship descended into the Earth's atmosphere before slowing in the upper   
Troposphere. Somewhere above South East Asia. Then a bright continuos flash of white   
burning light. Everyone except for Aeka and the goddess turned away from the flash.   
The entire atmosphere of Earth seemed to be alive reflecting the light that spread across   
the clouds. Ryoko closed her eyes and then when she could no longer see her eye lids   
reopened them blinking back floating spots on her retinas.   
She remembered the days when she could look into light that bright and not even   
blink. When light was a warm glow that cradled her when she rested. When light had   
never harmed her. Later when the cool white light turned to the darker more painful red   
her eyes had adapted to the flickering shadows that light gave off.   
The ship reappeared out of the light slowly drifting north towards China. Its   
shiny black surface catching the sun light making it easy to spot even from here.   
The blond priestess that had been her roommate for the last two nights fell to her   
knees crying as she slowly chanted for the souls of the dead. The little red hair girl   
patting her shoulder looking uncertain but trying to be strong for the young woman.   
Bright flashes exploded on the sides of Tokimi's ship. As bright as the first but   
infinitely smaller. Everyone from the planet below, even Ryoko, held their breath hoping   
that Earth had somehow defended itself. The glows disappearing seconds later leaving   
behind an unharmed enemy that continued on its stately course destroying the most   
heavily populated areas of the world it orbited.   
"Please, let us make a deal!" Tenchi yelled at the girl standing in front of the   
huge old tree.   
"A deal?" She looked intrigued at him. Two steady streams of tears leaked out   
the sides of her eyes a mirror to the two streams that flowed together into the pond at the   
base of the tree. Ryoko looked at her in shock, how could the girl look intrigued and yet   
continue to cry it was unnerving.   
"If you stop that ship. I'll agree to marry you." The room was suddenly dead   
quiet all background sounds fading into nothingness as the goddess smiled at him.   
"It is a good marriage gift. Nothing so vulgar as a deal." The room remained still   
as the two main players stared at each other.   
"By your word as a Jurain Prince do you promise to marry this host." The   
goddess asked a slight smile on her lips.   
"By my word as Tenchi Masaki, I will marry the princess." The girl gave him a   
huge smile as the tears that she had been shedding stopping suddenly.   
The bond that held Tenchi to Ryoko thinned just a little along with everyone   
else's in the room, as the one that held Tenchi to the goddess suddenly became thicker   
and then disappeared altogether as the goddess wove some new knots on his soul. And   
she couldn't stop it this time. It wasn't the forced rewrite of before this was an oath   
bonding. It wasn't impossible to remove though if both agreed to null the oath or if one   
should die... Ryoko smiled it was an obvious answer that she could solve in a more   
appropriate location.   
The same weight that had pressed them to the floor returned again but gentler   
then before as the "Tsunami" moved back towards Earth. Its large ion engines sending   
them on their way with out even a rumble of sound.   
A brilliant flash of light enveloped the Earth again as the southern China coast   
was destroyed. The weight in the "Tsunami" intensified as it rushed towards the source   
of the light throwing everyone across the chamber. Ryoko found herself in one of the   
lower lakes much to her displeasure.   
Something about the air in the "Tsunami" changed. A scent of ozone filled the   
room as it began to darken framing Princess Sasami's face in the only light. The tears on   
her cheeks highlighted to a sparkle that was visible across the room.   
Struggling with the water and her loss of powers Ryoko climbed out of the pond   
for the first time in her existence uncomfortably wet. The room was so dark now that her   
eyes had to switch to the higher levels of the infrared band just to see the other occupants   
of the room, except for the girl who was controlling the ship. Her face now ablaze in   
light.   
The smell of ozone suddenly disappeared as outside ten pedals of white light   
unfolded in front of the ship. Each of the pedals looking as if they were part of some   
delicate flower sparkling with morning dew. Then the top pedal began to change color   
first to red and then black leaving a glowing ball of energy at the center of the ten pedals.   
The pedal that had shed its energy slowly turning back to white. By the time the first had   
changed to red the pedal to its right began to change and then another until all the pedals   
had given their energy to the center creating a huge ball of glowing white light.   
The "Tsunami" began to brush up against Earth's atmosphere. Everyone who   
hadn't already found some sort of hand hold was being violently tossed around the ship.   
With out any choice Ryoko fell to the floor and hugged it in an attempt not to be thrown   
back into one of the ponds.   
The main screen was now alive with power as the huge ball of energy pulsed.   
The power held in check was blasted by atmosphere and heat as they fell towards the   
Earth acting like a heat shields for the "Tsunami" as they fell at a steep angle towards the   
enemy ship. Sasami expression had changed in the past few seconds her eyes were now   
hidden in the darkness that had descended in the ship even though the rest of her face   
was still aglow. A slight smile on her lips framed by the glistening cheeks.   
The enemy ship suddenly reappeared on the screen slowly trying to flip over like   
a beached turtle to point its weapon at the "Tsunami." Their ship shuddered as its   
forward momentum was suddenly slowed by the release of the energy ball. The ball of   
light descended on the slowly turning enemy ship impacting on one side of the sphere but   
missing the engines and weapons. Everything turned white again in a brilliant display of   
pyrotechnics before fading to a soft black and an empty screen. Showing a slowly   
rotating Earth in the background. Already a number of huge dust clouds could be seen on   
the planet as the effects of the previous attacks had its impact on the planets ecosystem.   
"Incoming transmission." The log with the blue writing announced again. As the   
display changed showing once more Tokimi's smiling face.   
"So sister it looks as if the game is just beginning. I had thought to play a little   
more in this arena, but it looks like the prize here is not the one I was searching for. So   
until we meet again." The woman grinned at them and disappeared replaced once more   
by the Earth.   
"What did she mean?" Tenchi demanded.   
"She... she realized that this planet does not have any of my followers. She is   
going to somewhere... somewhere that my people still live." The girls face had turned   
white and her body started to shake.   
The petals disappeared one by one as the ship turned away from Earth the screen   
displaying only stars. A deep rumbling echoed through the entire ship as something was   
changed and then the screen went blank.   
On her dais the princess collapsing once again onto the ground in a disheveled   
heap. This time Tenchi only stared at her. 

*** 

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